2005-06 APR Glossary-Demographic Characteristics

Glossary of terms for the Demographic Characteristics section of the 2006 API Growth Report.

This glossary defines key terms shown on the school, local educational agency (LEA), or state Demographics Characteristics section of the 2006 Academic Performance Index (API) Growth Report, which is part of the 2005–06 Accountability Progress Reporting (APR) system. Terms described below are listed in the order in which they appear on this section of the 2006 API Growth Report.

State Accountability: Academic Performance Index (API)

State legislation, the Public Schools Accountability Act (PSAA) of 1999 (Chapter 3, Statutes of 1999), established the Academic Performance Index (API), which summarizes a school's or local educational agency's (LEA) academic performance and progress on statewide assessments. The API also is used as an additional indicator for federal Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) requirements. (An LEA is a school district or county office of education.)

School, LEA, or State Demographic Characteristics

The data for the percentages and rates for the Demographics Characteristics section of the 2006 API Growth Report were collected from these sources:

CBEDS is a system for collecting and sharing demographic data about students, schools, school districts, and education staff in the California public school system in kindergarten through grade twelve. The data are collected once a year on a Wednesday in early October that is designated as "Information Day."

The STAR Program is California's statewide testing program. The three components of the STAR Program that are used in the API are: the California Achievement Test, Sixth Edition Survey (CAT/6 Survey), published by CTB/McGraw-Hill (grades three and seven); the California Standards Tests (CSTs), produced for California public schools (grades two through eleven); and the California Alternate Performance Assessment (CAPA), an assessment related to the California academic content standards that is designed to assess the performance of students with significant cognitive disabilities (grades two through eleven).

Ethnic/Racial

This item is the percentage of students in each ethnic/racial category taken from the 2006 STAR Program student answer document:

African American (not of Hispanic origin)

American Indian or Alaska Native

Asian

Filipino

Hispanic or Latino

Pacific Islander

White (not of Hispanic origin)

Percentages for ethnic/racial may not sum to 100 due to responses of "Other," "Multiple," "Decline to State," or non-response.

Participants in Free or Reduced-Price Lunch

This item is the percentage of students who participated in the free or reduced-price lunch program (also known as the National School Lunch Program) taken from the 2006 STAR Program student answer document. Parent education level and free or reduced-price lunch are used to represent student socioeconomic status in determining subgroups and similar schools ranks.

Participants in Full-Day Reduced Class Size Program, Participants in Gifted and Talented Education Program, and Participants in Migrant Education Program

These items are the percentages of students who participated in the full-day reduced class size program, Gifted and Talented Education program, and Migrant Education program. These items were taken from the 2006 STAR Program student answer document. These characteristics were added in January 2006 by the State Board of Education for use in the calculation of similar schools ranks. This addition was done to improve the accuracy of similar schools ranks.

English Learners

This item is the percentage of students who are designated as English learners (ELs), formerly known as limited-English-proficient (LEP) students, taken from the 2006 STAR Program student answer document.

An EL is a student for whom there is a report of a primary language other than English on the Home Language Survey. An EL, upon initial assessment on the California English Language Development Test (CELDT) and from additional information when appropriate, has been determined to lack the English language skills of listening, speaking, reading, and/or writing necessary to succeed in the school's regular academic curriculum.

Reclassified Fluent-English-Proficient (RFEP) Students

This item is the percentage of students who are designated as reclassified fluent-English-proficient (RFEP), taken from the 2006 STAR Program student answer document. This characteristic was added in January 2006 by the State Board of Education for use in the calculation of similar schools ranks. This addition was done to improve the accuracy of similar schools ranks.

An RFEP student is one whose primary language is not English and who was reclassified from English learner to fluent-English-proficient. Reclassification is based on assessment of English proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, and writing as currently measured by the CELDT, teacher evaluation, parent input, and the student’s performance of basic skills. Basic skills are measured by the CST in ELA.

Students with Disabilities

This item is the percentage of students who are designated as students with disabilities, taken from the 2006 STAR Program student answer document. A student with disabilities receives special education services and has a valid disability code on the student answer document. This characteristic was added in January 2006 by the State Board of Education for use in the calculation of similar schools ranks. This addition was done to improve the accuracy of similar schools ranks.

Mobility

School, CBEDS date
This item is the percentage of students who were counted as part of the school enrollment on the October 2005 CBEDS data collection and who have been continuously enrolled since that date to the date of STAR Program testing, taken from the 2006 STAR Program student answer document. This item is used for inclusion/exclusion mobility rules AND for similar schools ranks. Students counted in this item will be included in the school's API.

LEA, CBEDS dateThis item is the percentage of students who were counted as part of the LEA enrollment on the October 2005 CBEDS data collection and who have been continuously enrolled since that date to the date of STAR Program testing, taken from the 2006 STAR Program student answer document. This item is used for inclusion/exclusion mobility rules. Students counted in this item will be included in the LEA's API. All students, regardless of mobility, are included in the state's API.

Fully Credentialed Teachers and Teachers with Emergency Credentials

These items include the percentage of teachers with full teaching credentials and the percentage of teachers in the school with emergency credentials, taken from the 2005 CBEDS data collection. It is possible for one teacher to be in both the fully credentialed and emergency credential categories; therefore, the total of the percentages for "Fully Credentialed Teachers" and "Teachers With Emergency Credentials" may exceed 100.

Enrollments

These items include the percentage of students enrolled according to grade level or grade span, taken from the 2006 STAR Program student answer document. These data are used in the calculation of similar schools ranks. These items were added in January 2006 by the State Board of Education for use in the calculation of similar schools ranks. This addition was done to improve the accuracy of similar schools ranks.

Parent Education Level

This item is the percentage of responses indicating the education level of the student’s most educated parent, taken from the 2006 STAR Program student answer document. The following categories are used:

Not a high school graduate

High school graduate

Some college

College graduate

Graduate school

Parent education level and free or reduced-price lunch are used to represent pupil socioeconomic status in determining subgroups and similar schools rankings.

Average Parent Education Level

This item is the average of all parent educational level responses for a school where the following scale is used:

1 = Not high school graduate

2 = High school graduate

3 = Some college

4 = College graduate

5 = Graduate school

Average Class Size

This item is derived from a school's 2005 enrollment data reported on the Professional Assignment Information Form (PAIF), which is part of the 2005 CBEDS data collection. The item "Core academic courses in departmentalized programs" reflects average class size in the following subject areas: English, foreign languages, mathematics, science, and social science.

Enrollment in Grades Two Through Eleven on the First Day of Testing

This item is the number of students enrolled on the first day of STAR Program testing, taken from the 2006 STAR Program student answer document. For LEAs, this item includes special education students who receive services outside the school district but are assigned back to the school district of residence.

Students Exempted from STAR Testing Per Parent Written Request

This item is the number of students whose parents or guardians have requested that the student be exempted from STAR Program testing, taken from the 2006 STAR Program student answer document.

Number of Students Tested

This item is the number of students in grades two through eleven tested in the STAR Program, taken from the 2006 STAR Program student answer document.

Multi-track, Year-round School

This item is for school reports only. This item indicates whether or not the school is multitrack, year-round taken from the 2005 CBEDS School Information Form.